The Connecticut Quality Improvement Award (CQIA) Partnership’s 26th Annual Conference on Quality and Innovation was held on June 12. Rensselaer’s International Scholars Program (ISP) was awarded a Gold Innovation Prize for 2013. John Maleyeff, associate dean for academic affairs and professor of practice, represented Rensselaer at the conference and accepted the award on behalf of all the faculty and support staff who comprise the ISP team.

ISP is designed to expose young professionals to a first-hand set of international experiences in conjunction with global organizations. Initiated in June 2008, the ISP is a study abroad program for graduate students. It combines course work, visits to local business and industry sites, expert guest speakers, and a comprehensive project. Credits are incorporated into several master’s degree programs at Rensselaer.

Students are joined by Rensselaer professors who teach courses and coordinate all other events. A total of 18 outside-of-classroom events take place during the time abroad. The ISP project provides an opportunity for students to solve internationally relevant real-world problems, in conjunction with an organization located in one of the resident locations.

Since its inception, 91 students have participated in the ISP. As a result, they have enhanced educational opportunities (e.g., many have been offered impressive internships), better employment opportunities (e.g., many have been considered distinct from peers with similar degrees), and they benefit personally and professionally by experiencing life as a global citizen, according to Maleyeff. An unintended benefit for faculty members, he said, is their own career development. They have a renewed awareness of global business, cultural, and industry issues, and have brought this knowledge to the working professional classroom in Hartford.

The Connecticut Quality Improvement Award (CQIA) Partnership Inc., America’s first state-level quality award, was founded in 1987 utilizing the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award for Performance Excellence criteria in an effort to advance innovative programs that improve quality performance and marketplace competitiveness.